scum

scum
\ \ [13] Scum is etymologically a ‘layer on top’ of something. The word’s modern connotations of ‘dirt’ are a secondary development. It comes ultimately from prehistoric Germanic *skūman, a derivative of the base *skū- ‘cover’, and its relatives include German schaumfoam’ (source of English meerschaum [18], literally ‘sea-foam’). English scum originally meant ‘foam’ too (‘Those small white Fish to Venus consecrated, though without Venus’ aid they be created of th’ Ocean scum’, Joshua Sylvester, Divine Weeks and Works of Du Bartas 1598), the notion being of a layer of froth ‘covering’ liquid, but by the 15th century it was broadening out to any ‘film on top of liquid’, and from there it went downhill to a ‘film of dirt’ and then simply ‘dirt’. Germanic *skūman was borrowed into Old French as escume, and this formed the basis of a verb escumerremove the top layer’, from which English gets skim [15].
\ \ Cf.MEERSCHAUM, SKIM

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Scum — is: * A layer of impurities that accumulates at the surface of a liquid (especially water or molten metal) * A greenish water vegetation (such as algae), usually found floating on the surface of ponds * The topmost liquid layer of a cesspool or… …   Wikipedia

  • Scum — Студийный альбом Napalm Death Дата выпуска июль 1987 Жанр грайндкор …   Википедия

  • scum — [skum] n. [ME < MDu schum, akin to Ger schaum, foam, scum, prob. < IE base * (s)keu , to cover > SKY] 1. a thin layer of impurities which forms on the top of liquids or bodies of water, often as the result of boiling or fermentation 2.… …   English World dictionary

  • Scum — (sk[u^]m), n. [Of Scand. origin; cf. Dan. & Sw. skum, Icel. sk[=u]m, LG. schum, D. schuim, OHG. sc[=u]m, G. schaum; probably from a root meaning, to cover. [root]158. Cf. {Hide} skin, {Meerschaum}, {Skim}, v., {Sky}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Scum — Scum, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Scummed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Scumming}.] 1. To take the scum from; to clear off the impure matter from the surface of; to skim. [1913 Webster] You that scum the molten lead. Dryden & Lee. [1913 Webster] 2. To sweep or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Scum — Scum, v. i. To form a scum; to become covered with scum. Also used figuratively. [1913 Webster] Life, and the interest of life, have stagnated and scummed over. A. K. H. Boyd. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Scum — (engl. Abschaum) steht für: den früheren Namen der Band Amon Amarth Scum (Band), eine norwegische Hardcore Punk/Black Metal Band Scum (Album), ein Album von Napalm Death Mastic Scum, eine österreichische Metalcore/Grindcore Band Society for… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • scum — [skʌm] n [Date: 1300 1400; : Middle Dutch; Origin: schum] 1.) [U] an unpleasant dirty substance that forms on the surface of water ▪ a pond covered with green scum 2.) [plural] informal nasty, unpleasant people ▪ Scum like that should be locked… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • scum — [ skʌm ] noun uncount 1. ) OFFENSIVE an insulting word for someone you think is very unpleasant: The people who do these terrible things are scum. 2. ) a layer of a dirty or unpleasant substance that forms on the surface of a liquid: A thick… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • scum — early 14c. (implied in scummer shallow ladle for removing scum ), from M.Du. schume foam, froth, from P.Gmc. *skuma (Cf. O.N. skum, O.H.G. scum, Ger. Schaum foam, froth ), perhaps from PIE root * (s)keu to cover, conceal (see HIDE (Cf. hide) (n …   Etymology dictionary

  • scum — [n1] superficial impurities, dirt algae, crust, dross, film, froth, residue, scruff, spume, waste; concept 260 Ant. cleanliness scum [n2] people who are bad, despicable curs*, dregs, lowest, mass, mob, proletariat, rabble, riffraff, rubbish*,… …   New thesaurus

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